Watermelon Granola Trifle

This show-stopping Watermelon Granola Trifle boasts layers of diced watermelon, chopped strawberries and mango, toasted coconut, vanilla yogurt, and almond granola, topped with candied citrus and more toasted coconut! 

It's also the ideal healthy alternative to your typical dessert trifle, that's made with cake and pudding. And it's the perfect breakfast or dessert or breakfast dessert for any season and every type of gathering. So if you looking for watermelon breakfast recipes, you'll love this one!

Jump to:

• 💭Types of Watermelon
• 🍉Did you know that watermelon is packed with nutrients?
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 📖 Variations & Substitutions
• 🌡️Storing
• 🍽 Equipment
• 👪 Serving size
• 🔪 Instructions
• Comments & Reviews
• 📋 Watermelon Granola Trifle Recipe
• 🍳More Breakfast Potluck Ideas

You probably think summer when you think of watermelon, but watermelon is not just a summer fruit. Did you know that each year, the Canadian market imports over 300 million pounds of U.S. watermelon for Canadians to enjoy all-year-round? Watermelon is always in season! 

If you looking for more unique ways to use watermelon, try my Watermelon Prosciutto Vietnamese Salad Rolls!

💭Types of Watermelon

You are going to want to use a seedless watermelon for this recipe. Keep in mind that you may still find a few smaller white seeds in your watermelon; seedless means that there are no large, mature black seeds. There are 1,200 varieties of watermelon grown in 96 countries worldwide! The five main types of watermelon are seeded, seedless, mini, yellow and orange. 

🍉Did you know that watermelon is packed with nutrients?

What better way to start your day than with health watermelon for breakfast!

• Vitamins: Watermelon contains vitamin A (8% DV) and vitamin C. Vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin C is a dietary antioxidant and protects against the damage of free radicals.
• Water: Watermelon is 92% water, which helps keep you hydrated.
•  Other Nutritional Benefits: Watermelon is cholesterol, fat and sodium-free.

🥘 Ingredients

This granola and yogurt recipe is also easy to make and you don't need a lot of ingredients. For this recipe, you'll need:

• watermelon -seedless
• mango
• strawberries
• vanilla Greek yogurt- I use Greek yogurt because it has more protein than regular yogurt
• granola (I use almond)
• unsweetened coconut
• candied citrus peel - you will generally find this in a small plastic container in the baking aisle of your grocery store (often on the top shelf, near the baking chocolate and ingredients like that)

📖 Variations & Substitutions

• Yogurt- you can use regular yogurt (although it has less protein) in place of Greek yogurt, low-fat or regular or another flavor like strawberry or mango
• Granola - you can use any type of granola you prefer, including Homemade Granola or low-fat granola
• Candied Citrus Peel - you can use any kind of candied fruit or peel you like (or can find) but citrus works best
• Individual Breakfast Parfaits- if you don't want to make an entire trifle bowl, you can make this recipe into an individual breakfast parfait (see SERVINGS)

🌡️Storing

You'll want to make this as close to serving as possible. If you want to prep it in advance (or at your gathering or potluck), I'd suggest you cut up the watermelon, mango and strawberries separately and store them in  3 separate containers in the fridge. You can also toast your coconut in advance. 

🍽 Equipment

A 3 quart/3 liter glass trifle bowl (see my Amazon recommendations in recipe card). 

🔪 Instructions

1. Toast coconut. Add ½ the watermelon, mango and strawberries to the bottom of a 3 quart /3 liter trifle bowl. Sprinkle on ⅓ of the toasted coconut.
2. Add ½ the granola and 1 container of yogurt.
3. Add wedges of watermelon (Push back stuff with spatula and press watermelon against glass, repeat for all 6 slices of watermelon).
4. Add another layer of everything in same order as above. Garnish with candied citrus peel and remaining toasted coconut and slice of watermelon (as shown).

*See recipe card for more detailed instructions

And... don't be afraid to use the entire watermelon. Yes- it's true - you can use the whole thing!

You are going to have some leftover watermelon pieces. Here are some ideas of things you can do with it:

Flesh: From deep reds and pinks, to oranges, and yellows, watermelon adds a sunset of hues and sweet flavors to dishes year-round. Dice it into salads or salsas, skewer or grill it as kebobs, or simply enjoy a big, juicy slice.
Juice: Watermelon is excellent for hydration. Don’t throw away overripe watermelon. Instead, juice or puree it to retain the value and nutrition. Drink it straight up, blend it into smoothies for breakfast or as pre-workout fuel, or mix it into your favourite cocktail.
Rinds: The rind is often the most overlooked part of the watermelon but is edible and can be used as a vegetable: try stir-frying, stewing or pickling the rind. Hollowed watermelon can also serve as a compostable bowl for salsas, salad or smoothies

So, if you're looking for watermelon for breakfast ideas, this Granola Trifle is the ideal! It's also a healthy alternative to your typical dessert trifle, made with cake and pudding.

🍳More Breakfast Potluck Ideas